Multiple problematisations: The logics governing wet markets in two Chinese cities

Wet markets serve as a cornerstone of food distribution in China but are increasingly being threatened by urban displacement. This study explores the various motivations for local governments in Sanya City and Beijing City to enact aggressive policies limiting wet markets, the dynamic nature of the governing process and the multifaceted impacts such governance has on the everyday practices of vendors and consumers. Drawing upon Foucault’s notion of problematisation, this study found that wet markets have become representations of ‘problems’ such as insanitation and disorder, lowlands of economic revenue and ‘low-skilled industry’. Specific governance is regularly entangled with multiple means of problematisation, shaped and conditioned by forces such as administrative capacity, policy intensity, market configuration, business activism and consumer demand, as well as the interrelationships among them. Current governance is attempting to ‘correct’ wet markets to desired forms, but ignores the holistic value they embed in urban life. Thus, this research suggests more inclusive governance and sustainable development with regards to wet markets.